Low Input Lambing & Kidding:

Low Input Lambing & Kidding cover image

A Resource Guide for Managing Lambing and Kidding
Efficiently Without Sacrificing Animal Well Being

Acknowledgments

Introduction

 

Chapter 1- Relationships between Management Inputs, Season of Birthing and Herd Performance

Specific Objectives 1
Why Lower Your Inputs for Lambing and Kidding 2
How does Season of Birthing Affect Birthing Inputs 3
How Does Labor Affect Mortality Rates 6
Suggested Activities 11

Chapter 2- Management Practices to Decrease Inputs at Lambing and Kidding

Specific Objectives 12
Planning Ahead to Lower Labor and Operating Costs 13
Readying Dams and Facilities 18
Checking for and Assisting Births 18
If you use artificial heat 22
Extra feeding, bedding and watering 24
Problem animals 25
Handling the Birthing Season 26
A Review of Bonding in Goats and Sheep 28
Why do farmers use jugs? 31
Artificial Rearing 34
Grafting newborns 36
Handling animals 40
Creep Feeding 41
Suggested Activities 42

Chapter 3- Is Pasture Birthing for You?

Specific Objectives 43
Benefits of Pasture Lambing and Kidding 44
Choosing a birthing pasture 46
Set Stocking or Drift “Lambing”? 48
Planning for inclement weather, mothering issues, predation and neighbors 51
Handling birthing checks and management tasks 55
Heat stress 57
Internal parasites 58
Selection and culling 60
Summary 61
Suggested Activities 61

Appendices

Appendix I “Example of an animal health SOP for entropion” 63
Appendix II “Example of an animal health SOP for joint ill” 64
Appendix III “Feeding a kid or lamb by stomach tube” 65
Appendix IV “Giving an intraperitineal injection (IP) of dextrose to a kid or lamb” 66
Appendix V “Flow chart on caring for weak kids or lambs” 67
Appendix VI ” Sample lambing barn plan”
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